An interpersonal conflict situation *edited*

I had a module that was entirely based on a single project. For the final presentation, we had decided to come up with several posters, each based on a different aspect of our project. Each of us would be in charge of two posters. Before we proceeded with the poster design, we had already clearly discussed what should be added and focused on, in each poster. We had also set a deadline for ourselves.

My group had five people of which I had a conflict with one. He was very busy with his CCA - track and field and was often late or absent from our meetings. Knowing he had many commitments, he still volunteered to do the most important part of the project. Having been friends for a year, we knew that he was someone responsible. So we thought that since he volunteered, he should know what he was in for and that he knew he could cope with it.

When our self-set deadline was due, all our posters were ready except for his. He asked for a slight extension and we agreed. As promised, he did deliver his completed posters. However, when I was compiling the posters for printing, I realised that his posters were completely off-focus. Having already previously discussed the details of the poster, I felt that he did not understand what we meant. Besides, we were running out of time, especially since submission was the next day. I discussed with my group leader and decided it was best for me to edit one of his posters as a guide for him to understand how it should be done.

Initially, I intended to do simple editing. However, being a perfectionist at heart, I could not bear to see inadequacies. After an hour and a half, I had completely changed his poster to what I felt it should look like. All the while, I thought I was doing him a favour. After that, I dropped him a message to inform him of the newly updated poster and asking him to make the necessary modifications for the other poster.

The next day, we had a group meeting after submitting the posters. There was a high level of tension because he was fuming. He accused me of not respecting his work because I made modifications without his consent. Meanwhile, I felt that he was late and worse, handed in sub-standard work. Instead of blaming him, I had sacrificed my personal time (I was busy as well) to help him out, only to be miunderstood and wrongly accused.

What do you think I should have done so that things would not have taken such a turn?

Why Effective Communication is Important For Me

No man is an island entire of itself; every man
is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;
if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe
is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as
well as any manner of thy friends or of thine
own were; any man's death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.

John Donne

This is a poem describing the impossibility of solitude. To me, this poem indirectly emphasizes the intricracies of interpersonal relationship. I would think the crux of any good interpersonal relationship would be effective communication. There are many modes of communication but for me, effective non-verbal communication is especially important with respect to the sphere of dance. Of course, as a final year student, effective verbal communication is also vital in my final year project (FYP) presentations and job interviews.

As a dancer, i communicate through body language, expression and showmanship. All these are non-verbal aspects of communication. By performing on stage, i try my best to effectively communicate the story behind the dance or raise awareness via dance. As an audience, i would also like to understand what the choreographer is trying to speak through the dance routine. I want to know the storyline even without having to read the programme booklet. Without effective communication, the dance would just be a series of meaningless movements and steps.

As mentioned above, I'm a final year student who has reports to submit and presentations to give, regarding my fyp. I find the 7Cs especially helpful as a guide to succinct writing and concise presentations. More often than not, we have a page limit and time limit respectively. Hence, fluid and clear writings and presentations are all the more important.


Furthermore, with all the job-seeking that is on-going, smooth interviews are crucial in making a good first impression. By speaking well, interviewers are more likely to be impressed by the way ideas are articulated. These would cut down unnecessary communication "barriers" that might lead to misunderstandings while working together with other colleagues. One slight miscommunication could even be fatal in the civil engineering industry. We would also definitely want to avoid incidents like the Tower of Babel (a biblical story of incomplete construction due to miscommunications) from happening.


In conclusion, communication is an integral part of human interaction and effective communication is truly an ideal that i would like to work to achieve after learning from this module.